Lower APR Requests post your results here!!!!!

bargains83

CARD: BARCLAYCARD GRADUATE VISA

APR REQUEST DECLINED/APPROVED: APPROVED

FROM WHAT % TO WHAT %: 19.9% TO 15.9% [purchases]

I first got this as a Barclaycard student card in 2002, it was the first card I ever obtained when I was 18 and whilst I was FT at college. Initially I started out at 17.9%, but over the years it crept up to 19.9%. I don't consider myself to have managed this card well at all, although i've never missed payments and only been overlimit once I never really cleared the balance down and it was nearly always pretty much maxed out.

Over the last 6 months I've been paying off a lot more and now there is only ever a small balance left on this each month. Plus im currently being creative with their 6.9% LOB transfer offer for existing customers which means I pay even less interest.

19.9 > 15.9 is a great reduction for me, 4% better was well worth a secure message to them :T

dave35

I have a barclaycard gold card, as you can't transfer a balance from one barclaycard to another, how do you get to use their l.o.b facility???

bargains83

dave35 wrote:

I have a barclaycard gold card, as you can't transfer a balance from one barclaycard to another, how do you get to use their l.o.b facility???

I have an Egg card as well, which has no promotional rates. Any card you have without a balance on it will do, providing they don't charge a Balance Transfer Fee and isn't with the same group. Although even if they do charge a BT fee you might still be better off.

Just Balance transfer from your Barclaycard to your other Empty card, then transfer the balance back. Hey presto your 'other' card is now Empty again so no interest on that. The balance on your Barclaycard is now at 6.9%

They've been repeating this 6.9% offer for the last 3 months so they will probably do it in October as well. The 6.9% offer is also fee free which makes it worthwile.

ex-egghead

The best tip I can give you for Egg cards and getting the best rates...

1. Make sure you have a £0 balance on your card
2. Phone them up, call there bluff and ask for them to shut your account down. They should then look at the TCX screen on FDE (The main program that controls your credit card). For each account the offers are different. It simply depends on each persons account. They offer 3.9% (sometimes lower, eg 1.9% or 2.9%), 5.9% balance transfers as well as a 5.9% balance crystalisation, which freezes your interest at 5.9% for any existing balance on your account, so if you were to do a BT right then, it would be fine.
3. If no offer is on your Egg card they should remind you of your 'Anniversary offer'. Basically you should be given the opportunity more than once to say "actually keep it open."

The rule is "Never ask "Have you got any BT offers on my account?" the answer will always be no unless you've had an email to let you know. If you ask to close the account, its then that they are allowed to look at offers.

Hope this helps!

nomoneytoday

MBNA Virgin - 15.9% down to 0.9% for 9 months

modo77

MBNA had just upped my apr to 24%, phoned them to cancel and she gave me 0% on purchases for 5 months, 0% on balance transfers for 6 months. After which my standard rate dropped too 14.7%

Karma67

Well inspired by this thread i thought i would try...tho i pay off my balance every month so no interest charged

AND please dont maon and groan at the card (using it for credit building) lol

Vanquis...had the card 11moths..phoned up and simply asked if they could reduce my interest as i was not happy about it (been good customer etc)..

So they kindly reduced it from 49.6% to 37.6%

Not bad for a quick phonecall

littlestar1981

I was about to super-groan at your card, Karma67, then noticed your comment!!

CARD: Halifax Credit Card (think it's just a standard one, nothing special)

APR REQUEST DECLINED/APPROVED: Approved

FROM WHAT % TO WHAT %:

24.9% down to 13.9% (purchases, which is all I have on there anyway)

A huge weight off my mind, I just called up, said I had a card with another company at 14.9% (the truth) and I have space to transfer the balance to them (a little lie!). I have had the card 4 years, no missed payments, always paying more than the minimum.

Et voila!! Immediate rate reduction!!

I'd recommend it to anyone!

JasonW_2

This was about 18 months ago, but I'd had an hbos card at 17.9% and had the card 6 years in total, and was a bit put out that I couldnt get new cards, yet new customers were getting 0% deals when they were all the rage. Anyway, wrote a very nice letter asking if something could be done, and I was offered 0% for 9 months, then 9.9% after that. When the 0% ran out, I got a letter saying the rate for all customers was rising to 12.9% so I called up and they gave me 8.9% and its not moved from that since

Be careful though, cos in giving me a new card, the card number changed and required a new direct debit which was never mentioned, so resulted in a missed payment and a black mark on credit file for 1 missed payment. Luckily, after explanation both were resolved, but keep an eye on this.

J

Fahim_2

Just rang up HSBC about the interest rate and I was told that the actual APR was 18.9% and after my request it was actually reduced to 14.88%. Not bad considering I'm with them for about 15 months.